Book 1: Water
by Amicus Humani Generis
Summary: It isn't until Korra arrives in Republic City that she realizes what a huge responsibility being the Avatar is - and how many problems she inherited from Aang. Season 1 novelization.


_Title: Book 1: Water  
__Summary: It isn't until Korra arrives in Republic City that she realizes what a huge responsibility being the Avatar is - and how many problems she inherited from Aang. Season 1 novelization.  
Pairings: not the focus of the story, but I'll try to stick to the canon ones  
__Comments: "Wait," you're probably thinking. "Season 1 is air and not water!" I KNOW. I'm just expanding Korra and... well... trying to make it more realistic, I guess. PLEASE REVIEW!_

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Katara smiled as she watched Korra practice earthbending with one of the earthbending masters the Order of the White Lotus assigned. Today's training seemed to be going well – none of the masters had yelled at Korra yet, and today was the girl's birthday, so Katara had a few surprises planned for her. But then everything went downhill. "No, no, no!" the earthbending master yelled. "You're being too aggressive! You need to _feel_ the earth, like Toph Beifong!"

"Toph Beifong was _blind_," Korra grumbled. "She had an advantage." Katara smiled wistfully as she thought of her departed friend, thinking of how happy she would be if she could hear Korra now.

"So we need to go back to the blindfold then," the earthbending master said. "Just because you can bend three elements doesn't mean you've mastered them!"

"I know!" Korra yelled. "Avatar prodigy, yet master of none. I get it!"

"Avatar Aang mastered all the elements when he was twelve years old!" the earthbending master shot back. Katara sighed, hoping he wouldn't elaborate. "By Oma and Shu, Avatar, you're sixteen years old and you haven't mastered a single element!" Well, seventeen, but Katara had a strong feeling both Korra and the earthbending master had forgotten this little detail.

"I'm trying!"

"Well you should try harder!"

Katara sighed as she stepped between the two. "That's enough," she said firmly. "I think that's enough training for today. Why don't we go home, Korra?" The Avatar glared at her earthbending master one last time before putting on her coat and following Katara out of the training grounds. "He was right, you know. You really are too aggressive."

Korra groaned. "Not you too…"

Katara chuckled. "I'm only saying this for your own good, Korra," she said. "I'm not going to compare you to Aang; you are your own person, and no one can expect you to be exactly like any of your past lives."

"Tell that to everyone else," Korra muttered darkly, her blue eyes narrowing as she stared at the ground.

Katara placed her hand on Korra's back and smiled up at her. "Cheer up, Korra. You will master the elements one day; I believe in you."

Korra weakly smiled back. "I can't if I train a different element each day."

"Maybe you need a break. We all need breaks at the best of times."

"The stupid White Lotus won't let me."

Katara sighed as the two women neared their shared igloo. Katara smiled as she remembered when Korra first arrived at the South Pole, her blue eyes wide and curious as she quite bluntly compared everything to the North Pole, where she spent the long four years of her life. Katara almost couldn't believe that she was Aang's reincarnation – the two were so different in every possible way. While Aang was modest, Korra was arrogant and proud, and while Aang was sweet and gentle, Korra was loud and vivacious. Katara couldn't believe it had been thirteen years already. But then the White Lotus cracked down on Korra's training immediately – she was a prodigy that needed to be trained, after all, and Katara gladly took her in, spending more and more time with her in hopes that she wouldn't turn out like Azula, especially since the White Lotus forbid Korra from contacting her parents in the Northern Water Tribe and isolated her from everyone but her masters and guards.

But while the White Lotus meant well, they were too harsh on Korra, according to Katara. It made the old waterbending master's blood boil every time they belittled her or told her that she wasn't matching up to Aang's legacy and probably never would. It made Katara want to cry every time Korra returned from a disastrous training session, forcing a smile and willing herself not to cry. Everyone seemed to forget that Korra was, for all intents and purposes, a child, not just the Avatar. And it was times like these when Katara did everything in her power to show Korra that she had someone watching her back and that she didn't have to do everything alone.

So when Katara ushered Korra into the igloo, and Tenzin and his family smiled at her and screamed in unison, "Surprise!" Katara relished the look of simultaneous shock and happiness on Korra's face.

"Happy birthday, Korra," Tenzin said, smiling warmly as he stepped up to hug the girl.

"Wait, what?" Korra asked. "It's my birthday?"

Jinora gave a dramatic sigh as she hugged Korra tightly. "You forgot again, didn't you Korra?"

Korra grinned sheepishly. "I guess I did…"

Ikki and Meelo came next, latching on to both of Korra's legs. "Korra, Korra Korra!" Ikki called excitedly. "You got so tall! How's training going? Have you mastered any of the elements yet? Can you go 'Avatar state, yip yip!' and show us?"

"Korra, come play with me!" Meelo yelled above Ikki's hyperactive questions.

"All right, everyone, back off," Pema said calmly. "Pregnant lady coming through." Tenzin and Jinora pulled away before prying Ikki and Meelo off Korra, and Pema hugged Korra tightly. "Happy birthday Korra."

"Wow, I can't believe you're all here!" Korra said a bit dazedly. "I haven't seen you guys in forever!" Korra turned to face Katara, who laughed as she carried Meelo. "Sifu Katara, you knew about this, didn't you?"

"Of course I did," the waterbending master replied. "Now let's eat. I made you your favorite – five flavor soup and seaweed noodles!"

"Yay, Water Tribe food!" Ikki squealed. Katara couldn't help but smile as she put down Meelo, who now tugged on Korra's arm and pulled her towards the dining room.

It took the better half of two hours after dinner had ended to put the kids – Korra included – to bed, and now, Katara, Tenzin, and Pema had a moment alone. "Thank you so much for coming," Katara told her son and daughter-in-law. "Korra's been having a rough time training these past few weeks, and she really needed this."

"We're happy to help, Mother," Tenzin replied.

"Wow, it seems like just yesterday she was a little girl," Pema gushed. "She's gotten so big!"

Katara chuckled. "Time flies, doesn't it?"

"It sure does!" Pema agreed as she rubbed her stomach. "Remember when Jinora was born? Korra wouldn't stop poking her!"

"She used to say Jinora was squishy," Tenzin recalled.

Katara simply laughed. "Thank you for integrating her into the family," she said.

"That was mostly your doing, Mother," Tenzin said. "You were the one insisted that we treat her as such."

"Well she _is_ family, isn't she?" Pema asked. "Your dad was her past life, you know."

"And yet they couldn't be more different," Tenzin said, sighing. "Mother, I'm sorry, but we have to leave tomorrow morning." Katara's face fell as she nodded. "Republic City is unstable as it is, and I have a council meeting tomorrow."

"Then take us with you," Katara said flatly.

"But what about Korra's waterbending training?" Pema piped up. "How is she going to train without a master?"

"I believe you misunderstood me," Katara clarified. "I said I wanted you to take both me _and_ Korra to Republic City with you."

"Absolutely not!" Tenzin objected. "It's far too dangerous! Gangs are running unchecked through the streets, crime is rampant… it's not safe for the Avatar!"

"And while it is safe here, do you really think Korra can fulfill her duties in isolation?" Katara retorted, frowning. "She's incredibly naïve, Tenzin – more so than your father was when he first woke up after being frozen in that iceberg. She needs real world experience – and what better place to get that than Republic City?"

"Take her to the Fire Nation or something," Pema suggested. "It's safer there, and the Fire Lord, Princess, and ex-Fire Lord can help her with firebending."

"Fire is Korra's best element," Katara said. "Right now, she needs to work on waterbending and earthbending. If we accompany you to Republic City, then I can continue training her, and we can ask Lin to help her with earthbending."

"Lin would never agree," Tenzin objected.

"I can convince her," Katara answered. "She's stubborn – but not nearly as stubborn as Toph was."

Tenzin sighed heavily. "Very well. We will ask the White Lotus guards to—"

"No!" Katara snapped. "I want Korra _away_ from them!"

Tenzin and Pema exchanged uneasy glances. "If that's what you want…" Pema said slowly.

The next morning was… eventful, to say the least. Somehow, among all the "Yay, Korra's coming with us! Korra's coming with us!" "You can't put me on Oogi now 'cause I'm stuck on Korra!" "Ikki, Meelo, get in the saddle _now_!" "Wait, Katara, we're going to Republic City? We're _seriously_ going to Republic City?" "Gran-Gran, you never told me what happened to Zuko's mom!" and "Can we go now?" the entire family was loaded up in the bison's saddle, and off to Republic City. Much to Tenzin's annoyance and frustration, Katara insisted on controlling Oogi's reins (for old time's sake, she said), leaving him and Pema behind with the kids. Jinora had her nose buried in a book, Ikki was chattering excitedly to her parents, and both Korra and Meelo were asleep, with Meelo hugging Korra's arm.

Katara smiled, content that Korra was fitting so nicely into her family, and she thought that maybe, just maybe, the Avatar could be happy in Republic City.


End file.
